The Wild Party (1929 film)
Encyclopedia
The Wild Party is a Pre-Code film directed by Dorothy Arzner
, released by Paramount Pictures
, and known as Clara Bow
's first talkie
.
, all the girls immediately feel attracted to him. Stella recognizes him as the man she once accidentally shared a bed with, thereby risking her reputation. The professor is unamused by the girls' bad behavior and does not seem to notice who Stella is.
At the end of term, a traditional costume party is held. Stella and her friends show up in revealing costumes and are therefore thrown out by Faith Morgan (Day), the head of the student body. The girls decide to go to a bar, where they are soon bothered by drunk men. They try to leave, but the men refuse to let them go. A bar fight soon ensues. All the girls are able to get away and leave with the car, but Stella is left behind. Fearing the worst, she decides to play along with the men so they will not force themselves on her. She is eventually rescued by professor Gilmore 'Gil' (March), who beats up the men.
While taking her home, she tries to show her gratitude, but he is not moved by her, pointing out her scandalous lifestyle and lack of ambition. Hurt, she starts crying, but Gil states that he still would kill for her and kisses her. Eva catches them and soon spreads the word, but Stella threatens to ruin her life if she continues to. Stella denies the whole story, but admits to her best friend Helen (O'Hara) that she loves him. However, the next morning he acts as if nothing has happened, even giving her a hard time for committing plagiarism
. Upset, she returns to her old lifestyle of wild parties, which includes dancing with and kissing strangers. However, when information reaches her that Gil has been shot, she realizes that she is still in love with him.
A month later, Gil returns to college. Stella visits him, and he explains to her that he hates her for what she is and loves her for what she could be. They kiss, but are interrupted by Eva (Compton). Gil acts as if nobody else is there, but Eva notices Stella's presence. After she leaves, they enjoy a romantic evening until a fire drill interrupts them. While reporting to the dean, Helen loses a letter she has written to George, a man she is secretly seeing, despite the fact that it is prohibited for students to date. It turns out that Eva has found the letter and threatens to reveal both Helen and Stella's admirers. She later admits to their friend Babs that she has given the letter to Faith Morgan.
Stella later tries to protect Helen and takes the blame, claiming that it was she who wrote the letter. She prepares to leave college, but Gil follows her on the train and they are reunited. He tells her that he does not believe her claim that she wrote the letter and announces that he has left college too.
's and Clara Bow
's talkie debut
. A silent film
version was released as well, for theaters which did not have the right equipment. The film had mixed reviews and Bow's Brooklyn accent was especially criticized. One critic described her voice as a 'smooth contralto, vigorous and natural', while another said that she had a 'harsh tonal quality that is not very easy on sensitive eardrums'. Magazine Variety
stated that her voice was 'good enough' to survive the transition to sound. Film Daily also stated that there was 'nothing wrong' with her 'hard and metallic' voice.
Nevertheless, The Wild Party did well at the box office
and confirmed Dorothy Arzner
's abilities as a director. With its success, her career reached its high point. Bow's less appreciative reviews have often been explained by the rushed production.
Dorothy Arzner
Dorothy Arzner was an American film director. Her directorial career in feature films spanned from the late 1920s into the early 1940s, a time period in which there were very few—if any—other women working in the field.- Biography :Born in San Francisco, California, Arzner grew up in Los...
, released by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, and known as Clara Bow
Clara Bow
Clara Gordon Bow was an American actress who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. It was her appearance as a spunky shopgirl in the film It that brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl." Bow came to personify the roaring twenties and is described as its leading sex...
's first talkie
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
.
Plot
The film focuses on an all-girl college where the students are more interested in having fun and partying than studying. Stella Ames (Bow) is the most popular student, with a loud mouth. When the young and attractive professor Gilmore starts working there in anthropologyAnthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, all the girls immediately feel attracted to him. Stella recognizes him as the man she once accidentally shared a bed with, thereby risking her reputation. The professor is unamused by the girls' bad behavior and does not seem to notice who Stella is.
At the end of term, a traditional costume party is held. Stella and her friends show up in revealing costumes and are therefore thrown out by Faith Morgan (Day), the head of the student body. The girls decide to go to a bar, where they are soon bothered by drunk men. They try to leave, but the men refuse to let them go. A bar fight soon ensues. All the girls are able to get away and leave with the car, but Stella is left behind. Fearing the worst, she decides to play along with the men so they will not force themselves on her. She is eventually rescued by professor Gilmore 'Gil' (March), who beats up the men.
While taking her home, she tries to show her gratitude, but he is not moved by her, pointing out her scandalous lifestyle and lack of ambition. Hurt, she starts crying, but Gil states that he still would kill for her and kisses her. Eva catches them and soon spreads the word, but Stella threatens to ruin her life if she continues to. Stella denies the whole story, but admits to her best friend Helen (O'Hara) that she loves him. However, the next morning he acts as if nothing has happened, even giving her a hard time for committing plagiarism
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
. Upset, she returns to her old lifestyle of wild parties, which includes dancing with and kissing strangers. However, when information reaches her that Gil has been shot, she realizes that she is still in love with him.
A month later, Gil returns to college. Stella visits him, and he explains to her that he hates her for what she is and loves her for what she could be. They kiss, but are interrupted by Eva (Compton). Gil acts as if nobody else is there, but Eva notices Stella's presence. After she leaves, they enjoy a romantic evening until a fire drill interrupts them. While reporting to the dean, Helen loses a letter she has written to George, a man she is secretly seeing, despite the fact that it is prohibited for students to date. It turns out that Eva has found the letter and threatens to reveal both Helen and Stella's admirers. She later admits to their friend Babs that she has given the letter to Faith Morgan.
Stella later tries to protect Helen and takes the blame, claiming that it was she who wrote the letter. She prepares to leave college, but Gil follows her on the train and they are reunited. He tells her that he does not believe her claim that she wrote the letter and announces that he has left college too.
Cast
- Clara BowClara BowClara Gordon Bow was an American actress who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. It was her appearance as a spunky shopgirl in the film It that brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl." Bow came to personify the roaring twenties and is described as its leading sex...
as Stella Ames - Fredric MarchFredric MarchFredric March was an American stage and film actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1932 for Dr. Jekyll and Mr...
as James 'Gil' Gilmore - Marceline DayMarceline DayMarceline Day was an American motion picture actress whose career began as a child in the 1910s and ended in the 1930s....
as Faith Morgan - Shirley O'Hara as Helen Owens
- Adrienne Dore as Babs
- Joyce ComptonJoyce ComptonJoyce Compton was an American actress.She was born Olivia Joyce Compton in Lexington, Kentucky and not Eleanor Hunt as is frequently erroneously stated. She had appeared in the film Good Sport with Hunt and this confusion in an early press article followed Compton throughout her career...
as Eva Tutt - Jack OakieJack OakieJack Oakie was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on stage, radio and television.-Early life:...
as Al - Jack Luden as George
- Phillips HolmesPhillips HolmesPhillips Holmes was an American film actor who appeared in 44 films between 1928 and 1938. His credits included Grumpy, An American Tragedy, Broken Lullaby, Dinner at Eight, and Great Expectations....
as Phil
Production
Bow was unable to get used to the microphones. During her first line, the microphone reportedly exploded, which caused a technical problem at the studio. As Bow was very nervous about the new sound generation system, Arzner tried to comfort her by devising what is reputed to be the first fishpole microphone to allow flexibility of placement. Bow thereby had the freedom to move while filming.Release
The film is known for being Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
's and Clara Bow
Clara Bow
Clara Gordon Bow was an American actress who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. It was her appearance as a spunky shopgirl in the film It that brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl." Bow came to personify the roaring twenties and is described as its leading sex...
's talkie debut
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
. A silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
version was released as well, for theaters which did not have the right equipment. The film had mixed reviews and Bow's Brooklyn accent was especially criticized. One critic described her voice as a 'smooth contralto, vigorous and natural', while another said that she had a 'harsh tonal quality that is not very easy on sensitive eardrums'. Magazine Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
stated that her voice was 'good enough' to survive the transition to sound. Film Daily also stated that there was 'nothing wrong' with her 'hard and metallic' voice.
Nevertheless, The Wild Party did well at the box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
and confirmed Dorothy Arzner
Dorothy Arzner
Dorothy Arzner was an American film director. Her directorial career in feature films spanned from the late 1920s into the early 1940s, a time period in which there were very few—if any—other women working in the field.- Biography :Born in San Francisco, California, Arzner grew up in Los...
's abilities as a director. With its success, her career reached its high point. Bow's less appreciative reviews have often been explained by the rushed production.